Madhya Pradesh School Education Minister’s dictat comes under attack

Bhopal: There is widespread criticism of Madhya Pradesh School Education Minister Vijay Shah’s latest dictat that government school students in Madhya Pradesh will now have to say “Jai Hind” instead of “Yes Sir” or “Yes Mam” during roll call.

A video has gone viral on social media platforms like facebook and Whatsapp, which shows Madhya Pradesh School Education Minister giving instructions that “for the sake of promoting the spirit of patriotism” students should say “Jai Hind” and not “Yes Sir” or “Yes Mam” during roll call.

It will not be an exaggeration to state what the Madhya Pradesh Minister for School Education is trying to enforce is not only regimentation. It amounts to snatching away the children’s right to communicate with the teacher in their own chosen words.

People on social media are highly critical. While some have described the minister’s stand as “terrible” and “just too bad, one person said it is a “sickening charade of patriotism and nationalism under the saffron regime and no one knows where it will end and at what cost.” Another person has asked: “How long can our people tolerate this….?”

Vijay Shah was in the midst of a raging controversy over a sexist remark he had made before the 2013 State Assembly election and even had to resign as minister.